Last summer, Apple surprised almost everyone at WWDC with the announcement of Swift, a new programming language for iOS and Mac development.

The language feels like something Apple would invent. Like several of the languages currently popular in web development, it has a concise, readable syntax that’s easier to pick up than Apple’s older language, Objective-C. It was engineered by Apple’s compiler experts, so in addition to being compatible with existing code and Cocoa libraries, it’s also faster by some metrics.

But even though Apple’s tagline for the language is that it “lets everyone build amazing apps,” no novice is going to pick up Swift and get to coding full-on iOS or Mac apps without some guidance. For those beginning to work with Swift, the Swifty App provides an interactive set of tutorials that gradually guide you through the basics of Swift on your iOS device.

It’s the operating system betas that predict the way the wind if blowing.

Apple on Thursday issued a number of new beta releases for developers, including an OS X 10.10.3 Yosemite beta with Force Touch trackpad support for third-party apps, as well as new betas of iOS 8.3, Xcode and OS X Server.

The pre-release version of OS X 10.10.3 is identified as build “14D98g.” In the release notes, Apple informs developers that it contains application programming interfaces intended to support the Force Touch capabilities of the new 13-inch MacBook Pro.

Apple on Thursday announced that it is increasing the maximum app size from 2GB to 4GB, letting developers release apps that are up to 4GB in size. The extended limits will likely be useful for high-quality game titles that need the extra space to introduce improved graphical effects or longer playtimes.

The size limit of an app package submitted through iTunes Connect has increased from 2 GB to 4 GB, so developers can include more media in your submission and provide a more complete, rich user experience upon installation. Please keep in mind that this change does not affect the cellular network delivery size limit of 100 MB.

It’s the previews and betas that let you know about the cool stuff coming down the pipe…

Developers got their mitts on build 14D721, the first preview build of OS X 10.10.3 on Thursday. The new build featured the first sample of Apple’s forthcoming Photos application, which replaces iPhoto for Mac.

Apple offered a preview of Photos under embargo to select publications ahead of Thursday’s beta release. Initial impressions make it clear the application is yet another marriage between iOS and OS X, including icons and a general look and feel borrowed from the native Photos application for iOS 8.

Shiny Development’s recently-launched appreviewtimes.com has begun tracking review times for both the iOS and Mac App Store using data crowdsourced from iOS and Mac developers.

While the site’s data is not official Apple data and is based on anecdotal data gathered from people posting their latest review times on Twitter and App.net using the #macreviewtime or #iosreviewtime hash tags, it is a public effort to obtain more accurate review times.

Per AppleInsider, Apple on Wednesday alerted members of its development community that existing applications on the App Store will need to include 64-bit support for any updates submitted after June 1 of next year.

The clarification from Apple comes after developers expressed confusion regarding the company’s 64-bit app update policies. With Wednesday’s announcement, developers now have more than six months to prepare for the switch.

All newly submitted apps will require 64-bit support beginning on Feb. 1, 2015. They must also be built with the iOS 8 software development kit as of that deadline.

Programming may not be your thing, but this could still be something nifty to take your kids to.

Per TechCrunch, Apple is participating in this year’s Hour of Code, the second annual worldwide event designed to help spark interest in and provide access to coding education among youth and students. Apple’s participation will involve offering free one-hour workshops at its Apple Store retail locations, during which they’ll provide attendees with an introduction to basic computer science concepts.

According to CNET, South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission (FTC) has ordered Google and Apple to remove specific clauses pertaining to refunds contained within applications’ terms and services on both Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store (for iPhone and iPad). The Commission declared that the clauses were, “explicitly unfair and responsible for damages to the consumer”.

In a press release, South Korea’s FTC said;

‘‘We expect the measure, aimed at protecting consumers, will have a ripple effect on similar cases throughout the world.”

One of the more unexpected announcements at WWDC, given the audiences reaction, was that Apple would be introducing a new programming language called Swift. Craig Federighi commented on how Objective-C had been the backbone of Mac and iOS development for 20 years, and with the phrase, “What it would be like if we had Objective-C without the baggage of C…?”, the developer crowd seemed to express its stunned approval in ooooooo’s and ahhhh’s until finally erupting in applause. According to Federighi, “It totally rules!”.